Why Are Certified Wildlife Habitats Important?

A wildlife habitat is an environment designed by a person or community that works as a sustainable refuge for surrounding wildlife.

By Platinum Ponds • February 2, 2017 • 4 minute read

Never heard of a Certified Wildlife Habitat before? You aren’t alone. A wildlife habitat is an environment designed by a person or community that works as a sustainable refuge for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens include a variety of habitats that help native and local plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, mammals, etc.

These havens play a crucial role in helping wildlife survive the stresses of development. The people who create them also get involved with wildlife in new ways and form a deeper relationship with the natural world.

Jan has a certified wildlife habitat in her backyard. She has a pond and wanted to become a member so that her pond would stay healthy for the wildlife and environment. We asked her about the benefits when you certify through NWF’s Garden for Wildlife community, and she mentioned:

You get a personalized certificate

You get a subscription to their e-newsletter, Garden for Wildlife

You get a twelve-month membership in the National Wildlife Federation and a subscription to National Wildlife® Magazine

You get 10% off National Wildlife Federation Catalog merchandise to enhance your wildlife habitat, which includes nesting boxes, feeders, birdbaths and other items.

An exclusive option to buy charming garden signs signifying your garden as a Certified Wildlife Habitat® with the National Wildlife Federation

Wildlife habitats can play a crucial role in biological pest control, and also promote biodiversity, native plantings, and will benefit the wider environment.

There are FIVE factors that you must have to become certified.

Food- the habitat needs to have three of the following types of plants or supplemental feeders:

Seeds from a plant

Berries

Nectar

Foliage/Twigs

Nuts

Fruits

Sap

Pollen

Suet

Bird Feeder

Squirrel Feeder

Hummingbird Feeder

Butterfly Feeder

Water- All animals need water to survive, some also need it for bathing or breeding. Your garden needs to have one of the following water sources to provide clean water for wildlife to drink and bathe:

Birdbath

Lake

Stream

Seasonal Pool

Ocean

Water Garden/ Pond

River

Butterfly Puddling Area

Rain Garden

Spring

Cover- Wildlife need different places to find shelter from bad weather, and they need places to hide from predators or to stalk prey. Wildlife need at the least two places to find refuge from predators and the weather:

Wooded Area

Bramble Patch

Ground Cover

Rock Pile or Wall

Cave

Roosting Box

Dense Shrubs or Thicket

Evergreens

Brush or Log Pile

Burrow

Meadow or Prairie

Water Garden or Pond

Places to raise young- Wildlife need resources to reproduce and keep their species going. Some species have completely different habitat needs in their juvenile phase than they do as adults. You need at the least two places for wildlife to join in love, mate, and then bear and raise their young:

Mature Trees

Meadow or Prairie

Nesting Box

Wetland

Cave

Host Plants for Caterpillars

Dead Trees or Snags

Dense Shrubs or a Thicket

Water Garden or Pond

Burrow

Sustainable practices- How you maintain your garden can affect the health of the air, soil, water and habitat for native wildlife as well as the human community. You will need to implement practices from at least two of the three sections below to help maintain your habitat in a sustainable way. To better help wildlife, it’s recommended to use one or more practices from each of the sections from National Wildlife Federation’s website.

Taking care of your lake or pond is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. As your local pond management professionals, we’ve been there. Let us help guide you as a member to protect, plan, and preserve your pond or lake if you live in the Charlotte NC, Asheville NC, and Greenville SC areas.